High-Level Diplomatic Visit to Ruben Centre

Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary General United nations, and current Chair of the Supervisory Board of Global Center on Adaptation, the French Government Minister for Development Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, French Ambassador to Kenya H.E Amb. Arnaud Suquet, all paid a visit to Ruben Centre on 4th September 2023.

It was a delightful surprise on Monday morning for us here at Ruben Centre to hear police sirens, and out of the blue (well, dust really), none other than the 8th UN Secretary-General rushed in. He was in Kenya for the three day Africa Climate Summit, which began on September 4th.

The inaugural Africa Climate Summit, championed by H.E President William Ruto, aims to address the increasing exposure to climate change and its associated costs, both globally and particularly in Africa. With the expectation of escalating climate crises in terms of frequency and intensity, urgent action is required to mitigate these challenges.

The Summit will serve as a platform to inform, frame, and influence commitments, pledges, and outcomes, ultimately leading to the development of the Nairobi Declaration. The summit comes at a time of increasing alarm in the global community, as 2023 has produced a taste of the horrors to come as our earth heats up. Another report by Oxfam, titled "Climate Financing Shadow Report 2023" noted that developing countries are three years overdue on the commitment to mobilize $100 billion (Sh14.5 trillion) per year, hindering climate talks. "Contributions must become more transparent, building on clear commitments that allow for accountability. There needs to be a new global public finance goal specifically for addressing loss and damages," the report said.

The former UN Secretary-General and the France’s Minister for Development were inspecting slums in Nairobi, in search of encouraging signs of development and progress in the fight against environmental degradation and the appalling living conditions of millions of people in Africa. Ruben Centre is in the heart of Mukuru slums, and their choice of stopping over was a clear statement about our presence and its contribution to the fight against slum habitats and people's survival without essential services of health, education, security, and jobs.

I sat in on the briefing chaired by Professor Patrick Verkooijen, Chief Executive Officer of 'The Global Center on Adaptation,' a response to climate change set up by Ban Ki-moon in The Hague in 2018 with the mandate to 'accelerate adaptation by elevating the political visibility of adaptation and focusing on concrete solutions.

It certainly enlivened my day as I listened to the French Minister explain, "How when things happen in Africa, they impact other parts of the world, especially in Europe." Surprisingly, she never explicitly mentioned two modern-day trends, namely the increased number of coups and the massive movement of refugees from Africa to Europe. Since 1952, there have been over 102 successful coups in African countries, with former French colonies leading the charge, beginning with Mali, Guinea, and Chad (2021), Burkina Faso (2022), and this year Gabon. Of course, this history of political failure points directly to France's colonial failures and ongoing exploitation of African material and human resources, leaving a continent impoverished and aid-dependent. The issue of over one million mostly North African people attempting hazardous boat crossings to Europe since 2010 also didn't get a mention, yet it is something trending only in the North and will be accelerated by climate change.

Ban Ki-moon spoke of the crisis of debt crippling African nations, uttering, "Kenya can never hope to develop while weighed down by its Ksh.8.2 trillion debt and by 2022, equivalent to about 68% of GDP, and something totally unsustainable." Later, he confided in me that since his first visit to Kenya seventeen years ago, he has seen no signs of progress in terms of living conditions for Kenyans. "Extremely concerning," he whispered.

As the French delegation was leaving and passing by the health centre, the Minister got very animated and, brushing aside attempts by her security to keep her on track to her car, asked for a quick look. It turns out she has a big medical background and was quickly quizzing our laboratory staff about their technical capabilities. She asked, "Have you received funds from the Euro 1.5 billion grant to improve health in Africa?" I could only sigh and say, "Never heard of it!" She only got more animated when she saw the shipping container decorated with the French flag and the history of the last French Ambassador to Kenya's visit. I mentioned to the French Ambassador how two of his predecessors have visited and donated funds for projects. "Much better than our Australian counterparts," I added with a hint of satisfaction. While racing to their cars, I was able to issue an invitation to French Ambassador Arnaud Suquet to have him back for a detailed visit. In no time, they were all gone, and slum life continued as it unfortunately has for half a century, but hopefully not for a similar number of years ahead. Hope Springs Eternal!

By: Br. Frank O’Shea

Edits: GB